Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
PA Counter out of Singleback Toad X Nasty sells the counter run action to the backfield before releasing three vertical stems. The X receiver runs a deep post that splits the safeties, the slot runs a corner route breaking outside toward the sideline, and the boundary receiver runs a shallow crosser that settles as an underneath outlet. This is a play-action shot play designed to punish run blitzes and aggressive linebacker flow, with the deep post as the primary read against single high safety looks and the corner route as the man beater outlet against press coverage.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify if the safeties are showing single high or two high since that determines whether the post or the corner route is your primary target. Watch linebacker depth before the snap, if they are stacked tight to the line expecting run they will be late getting depth on the play action, opening the post route immediately. Post-snap, key the middle linebacker's drop, if he sits and reads the fake instead of gaining depth he can undercut the post route as a lurk defender. Man coverage on the outside receivers gets beat by the corner route's outside break, so look for the cornerback's hip turn at the snap to confirm man versus zone. Cover 3 shells with a deep middle defender who reads run action first will be susceptible to the post, but disciplined Cover 3 defenders who stay deep can take away both verticals and force the checkdown crosser.
Usage Tips
Call this on early downs after you have established the counter run from this same formation so linebackers bite on the play fake.
Check for single high safety pre-snap since the deep post is your first read and it splits the middle of the field versus one deep defender.
If the corner shows two high safeties, work the corner route to the boundary since the post will be capped by a deep half defender.
Hot route the shallow crosser into a deeper drag against zone shells to give yourself a checkdown if both verticals are covered.
Pair this with HB Counter and HB Power O from the same set to keep linebackers honest, then hit this shot play once they start crashing downhill on run fakes.
